


An accident and a bond

by livingdeadsea



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Pre-Fates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8409154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingdeadsea/pseuds/livingdeadsea
Summary: Why Jakob is so devoted reveals itself.
Set pre-Fates.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My avatar for Fire Emblem Fates is Taris, so that's the name I used here. Basically your average avatar, but with a unique name. Hope you enjoy my first (posted) fic!

Taris let her rusty iron sword drop at the hesitant look from Jakob. She heard a small sigh escape her butler's lips. "Jakob-" she started, but he did something very out of character. He interrupted her. "Milady, I don't feel comfortable with this. I could not bear it if I injured you in any way."  
Taris's heart twinged a little at the formal moniker, but had learned long ago that Jakob couldn't be persuaded not to use it. "I won't be able to get better if I don't practice, Jakob," Taris intoned. Jakob opened his mouth to speak, but Taris continued, "with REAL blades, Jakob. Wooden ones are too light." Jakob harrumphed, looking displeased. "If you won't spar with me, I'll just have get Xander to do it when he visits." At this, Leo poked his blond head out the doorway to the courtyard where Taris and her butler were arguing. "Xander is busy at the moment, but I think you could benefit from a little magic defense," Leo interjected. Taris slung her sword down and launched into Leo's arms. As he swung his sister around Taris let out an exclamation of delight. "Leo! I didn't know you were coming!" He smirked a little and ruffled Taris's hair as he put her down and strode into the courtyard. The space was nearly entirely stone, with only small gaps where thorny rosebushes grew. Elise eagerly ran in behind Leo after hearing the commotion. With a squeal of "Big Sister!" Elise practically tackled Taris in a hug. Taris grinned at her two siblings. "Elise and Camilla insisted on a surprise visit. Of course I'm never opposed to it," Leo said. "Now, you were sparring?" Taris rolled her eyes on Jakob's direction. "I was trying to. Jakob wasn't cooperating." "Alright, I guess I'll just have to help you out then," Leo said.  
Elise shouted a "Yay!" of excitement at the match, but Jakob's already frowning face managed to acquire an even deeper frown. "Ah don't worry," Leo said to Jakob, catching his look. He pulled his spellbook out of his cloak. "Camilla would have my hide if I put a single scratch on her." They all knew the wrath of the elder princess when it came to Taris. Jakob reluctantly walked over by where Elise had sat down on the tiled ground. "Go Taris!" Elise shouted giddily.  
Taris knew Leo's spells were unique, but she was unprepared for the trees that sprang from the ground around her when Leo thrust out his arm. Leo chuckled a bit at the surprised look on her face. "I forgot you hadn't seen my magic before." Then the match really began. Taris knew there was no way she'd be able to deflect these strange spells. Dodging was the only option. Luckily, Taris was extremely nimble. The ring of light that encircled Leo as he cast his spells gave Taris just enough warning to dive out of the way of the deadly branches springing from the tiles of the courtyard. Taris rolled, dove, and sprang away to swing her sword at Leo's body, only to be blocked by his spellbook. They were an even match.  
On the sidelines, Elise sat humming while watching the match. Jakob, standing at attention, scoffed at Elise. "Shouldn't you be more prepared in case one of your siblings gets injured and needs your healing abilities?" Elise, without taking her eyes off the sparring pair, simply said "Oh, there's no need. Those two are evenly matched. And if something did happen, the Dragon Vein here can take care of it. There's nothing to worry about." Jakob looked surprised, but stood a little less rigidly after that.  
Taris seemed to be wearing Leo down. She was deftly dodging each branch that popped up and Leo was not used to having to do the physical work of blocking. As a bright ring formed around Leo, Taris moved to roll out of the way, but failed to notice a small fissure in the tile that the toe of her boot had gotten lodged in. Instead of the roll she intended she fell forward— and was immediately impaled by the limbs of Leo's spell tree. The branches went through her abdomen and chest and left cuts all over her body. As the tree faded into nothingness, Taris gasped, spluttered, and then passed out.  
A scream tore from a throat. Not Elise, as would be expected, but instead Jakob's.  
Leo stood stunned for a few seconds but quickly recovered to find the Dragon Vein lying under the ground. He knelt down, placing his palm on the stone and, after an agonizingly slow second, the ground around him began to emanate a soft blue light. Elise wailed and rushed over to Taris's side and used her staff to attempt to heal her as Leo picked her up and brought her into the glowing space. Both Elise's staff and the healing space of the Dragon Vein weren't enough. Taris was losing so much blood. Jakob's eyes trailed from the smear where she was impaled to the line across the courtyard to the puddle where she now lay. Leo shouted for Jakob. "Get over here and help! Your little bit of healing may be enough to save her!" Jakob slumped over, but didn't move, still in the same spot, hyperventilating. Leo growled and stomped over to Jakob. He slapped him hard across the face as hard as he could. Jakob didn't react. "You are the sorriest excuse for a butler I've ever seen," Leo spat.  
"Leo, she needs help now! He's not gonna help so you gotta go get Felicia and Lilith!" Elise shouted, panicky. Leo threw one more disdainful look at Jakob before rushing into the castle. Elise had tears streaming down her face as she pressed one hand to Taris's wound and the other gripped her staff. "You're not allowed to leave me, Big Sister!" she whispered furiously, pouring every drop of energy she had into healing Taris bleeding body.  
Leo burst out of the door with Felicia behind, staff in her hand. Felicia rushed over beside Elise and began to heal alongside her. After several minutes of the two working together, the large wounds Taris had sustained closed up. Leo laid hands on them, and solemnly said "She'll be okay. You don't need to push yourself any further. They halted their efforts and Elise immediately fainted and Felicia sagged to the ground. At the sound of footsteps, Leo glanced up to see Lilith in the doorway, looking abashed. Leo's eyes widened. He knew what was coming. A lavender colored storm shoved her way into the courtyard and shrieked at the sight she saw. "Camilla I-" Leo started, but he was interrupted by a fist slamming into his face. Lilith had obviously told her what happened. "How could you hurt her?! My baby sister! Oh Taris, Taris!" Camilla wailed. Leo hung his head as Camilla rushed over to Taris, picked her up, and carried her inside the castle. Leo did the same to Elise, telling Felicia over his shoulder to do something about Jakob.  
Felicia picked her tired body up off of the cold stone. She kneeled by Jakob where he had, at some point, curled up on the ground. "Jakob," she said gently, "Taris needs you."  
"I'm useless to her," Jakob whispered. "I failed her. I froze when she needed me. She could've died because of me."  
"But she's still here. What you can do now, is make sure she stays alive." 

Taris woke up in her bed, her whole body throbbing. Camilla pounced on Taris as soon as she opened her eyes. "Oh thank goodness, my little Taris is alright!" Camilla hugged Taris, kissing her on the top of the head. "Okay, okay Camilla," Taris laughed, then winced. The healing hadn't taken away all of the pain. Leo was sitting in the corner, a somber look on his face and a large bruise adorning his left cheek. Camilla saw where Taris's gaze landed and pouted. "He deserves so much more than that for what he did to my baby sister. You could have died!"  
The three Nohrian royals looked up as Jakob stepped into the posh room and cleared his throat. "If I may, I would like to speak with Lady Taris alone."  
Camilla and Leo both consented, but Camilla gave Jakob a look of warning as she swept out of the room. Jakob explained with great shame to Taris what had happened while she was unconscious in the courtyard. He knelt on the floor beside her bed. "I did nothing as you nearly bled out. I have failed in my duties as a butler. You may fire me, beat me, execute me, whatever milady desires."  
Taris stood, a bit shakily, and Jakob reached out to steady her. "Stand up please, Jakob." He did as she bade him to and, to his surprise, Taris hugged him. "It's alright to be weak sometimes," she whispered. When she let go, Jakob grasped one of her hands in both of his and made a vow to her. "I will never let such harm ever come to you again, milady. I shall protect you until the end of my days."  
Jakob gazed at Taris's kind face and noticed a cut not entirely healed running along her cheekbone. He reached for his staff and brushed his fingers over the cut as he healed it. Left behind was a small scar decorating the right side of her face. Jakob looked distressed, but Taris smiled as she glanced over Jakob's shoulder to her vanity mirror. "It gives me character," she whispered.  
"Lady Taris, you have so much already."


End file.
